With the start of the new year, a spotlight is already shining bright on how the region is working to create environments and enhance mobility that make it a destination of choice for entertainment, to live and work, and connect to Southern California and beyond through various modes of transportation.

2025 is off to a fast start building on the momentum that was achieved in 2024 with the start of construction of Brightline West in Las Vegas, which will connect Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga and provide a new high-speed passenger rail option that will hit speeds of up to 200 MPH traveling through the median of Interstate 15.

If you'd like to see and hear about the latest developments and new business opportunities tied to transportation development, please email CucamongaStation@CityofRC.us.

On January 30, the local Inland Empire chapter of the international organization WTS (Women Advancing Transportation), held its 20th Annual Scholarship & Awards Benefit Dinner and awarded the City of Rancho Cucamonga with the 2024 Innovative Transportation Solutions Award for its visionary work creating the HART District. Assistant City Manager Elisa Cox accepted the award on behalf of the city and all partners, staff and supporters connected to the HART District efforts.

The HART District is a transit oriented, mixed-use district that elevates the area into a walkable, culture-rich experience embracing economic opportunity. This area is anchored by Cucamonga Station and is within Haven Avenue, Arrow Route, Rochester Avenue, and the Transit District.

The City had long envisioned this to be a place with a more urban feel and easy access to transportation partners like Metrolink, ONT, and Omnitrans - all of which have exciting transportation projects underway that will better connect the region to rail, air and bus services. Mixed-use development projects have already been completed in the HART District with others under construction and more in the planning stages. The HART District embraces transportation innovation and will serve as a model for smart transit-oriented development.

On January 28, GOCAL hosted its Quarterly Stakeholder’s Update, which featured development updates from the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the City of Ontario.

Rancho Cucamonga City Manager John Gillison shared the latest news on Cucamonga Station, highlighting how the multi-modal transportation hub will further elevate the Inland Empire as a travel and economic destination. There are currently three projects underway that will connect at the station: Brightline West's high-speed rail line; SBCTA/Omnitrans' West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit Line; and SBCTA/ONT's ONT Connector - a 4.2-mile underground transit service that will connect directly to ONT terminals. Omnitrans is already providing this connection with ONT Connect van shuttles from Cucamonga Station.

Gillison also spotlighted a new 15-year lease agreement for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Baseball team to play at LoanMart Field, which is within the Epicenter Master Plan that will create a destination for recreation, entertainment and gathering. This, along with enhancements to the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center Courtyard to host outdoor events and the Randall Lewis Second Story and Beyond© interactive discovery space for visitors of all ages, all play an important role in elevating the region as a key destination and hub for economic development.

Additionally, Ontario City Manager Scott Ochoa provided updates on the City of Ontario, focusing on the development of the Ontario Sports Empire. The project is estimated to drive 1.2 million new visitors to Ontario along with over 600 new jobs for the region and will offer an impressive array of facilities designed for athletes and fans alike.

Ochoa also shared highlights of the Arena and Entertainment District, which will be adjacent to Rancho Cucamonga's HART District - creating a bi-city mega destination for travel, tourism, entertainment and living. 

Over 7 million passengers traveled through Ontario International Airport (ONT) in 2024, making it the fastest growing among medium and large California airports. With a total of 7,084,864 passengers, ONT saw a 10.2% increase over travelers in 2023 and a 27% surge compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Domestic traffic travelers totaled 6,645,968 passengers— boasting a 10.5% year-over-year growth. Meanwhile, international travel hit a record high of 438,896 passengers, marking a 5.1% increase and the highest in the airport’s history.

Air carriers with the highest share of travelers in 2024 were:

1.    Southwest Airlines (35.9%)

2.    American Airlines (15.7%)

3.    Frontier Airlines (14.6%)

4.    Delta Air Lines (10.1%)

5.    Alaska Airlines (7.3%)

United Airlines announced last week the addition of direct flights from ONT to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) beginning this May.

In addition to passenger growth, ONT’s air cargo operations remained strong, reinforcing its position as a top 10 U.S. cargo hub. In fact, air freight and mail grew by 5.5% over the previous year, approaching shipping rates reached during the pandemic.

Learn more about ONT’s record-breaking year by viewing their press release.

For the latest ONT news, click here.

Omnitrans has unveiled exciting enhancements to its bus services, including more frequent routes, updated schedules, and improved regional connections. These updates reflect Omnitrans' ongoing commitment to providing reliable, accessible, and community-centered transportation for the Inland Empire.

Already, passengers are benefiting from key improvements, such as the return of Route 290, which now travels between the San Bernardino Transit Center and the Montclair Transit Center, with limited stops at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Ontario Mills Mall.

Route 67 has been renumbered to Route 367. Despite a change in number, the bus line covers the same areas including Rancho Cucamonga and north Fontana, transporting residents to destinations such as Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho Cucamonga High School, Etiwanda High School, A.B. Miller High School, and the Fontana Metrolink. For more details on the service increases, click here.

Metrolink customers will be able to board Arrow service for just $1 throughout February and March and travel round-trip between any combination of Arrow stations along the nine-mile route connecting the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands. This limited-time promotion, made possible in partnership with the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), is exclusive to the Arrow service.

Arrow launched in October 2022 and serves five stations: Redlands-University, Redlands-Downtown, Redlands-ESRI, San Bernardino-Tippecanoe and San Bernardino-Downtown where riders can connect to Metrolink’s San Bernardino and Inland Empire-Orange County lines. On January 27, Metrolink introduced an updated Arrow schedule to align with changes implemented concurrently on the San Bernardino Line. The new schedule is available at metrolinktrains.com/scheduleupdate.

SBCTA has launched "Ride Happy!" – a campaign designed to make using public transit a better experience for every rider. Anyone who rides transit in San Bernardino County can become part of the campaign by sharing their story and be entered in a quarterly drawing to win prizes.

Transit riders can share their own "Ride Happy" stories for a chance to win prizes. Those stories will be celebrated in upcoming promotions for Ride Happy! To contribute a story and be entered to win, click here.

YouTube content creator Lucid Stew, who focuses on covering high-speed rail projects in the U.S. and abroad, recently posted a 2025 Brightline West update. He created this video using Unreal Engine 5 - a 3D development platform. While the information he gathered to produce this video comes from publicly available content and footage he filmed rather than final design plans from Brightline West, the video provides realistic animation renders of what the high-speed rail line might look like departing Cucamonga Station through the High Desert and into the Las Vegas station. Click here to check it out. 

GOCAL was named 2024 Non-Profit of the Year from the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) for their promotion of the Greater Ontario region and invaluable promotion of the overall region. This award was shared with San Antonio Hospital Foundation for their unwavering commitment to improving health outcomes and partnership with IEEP on the 2025 Annual State of the Region.

About our Cucamonga Station Regional Outreach Partners - The City of Rancho Cucamonga, Greater Ontario California (GOCAL), Omnitrans, Ontario International Airport, and San Bernardino County have established a collaborative regional outreach and engagement effort. To learn more, visit www.CucamongaStation.com